Thankgiving Weekend

Long weekends are the BEST!!!

 

Long weekends spent with family and friends are even BETTER!!

 

Long weekends spent with family and friends and add in a whole lot of delicious foods is the

BEST OF THE BEST!!

 

We headed out of town on Wednesday right after work to go to my husband's hometown in WI that is about 4 hours away!

 

We were staying with some good friends (Mark & Alison) while in town and we were very excited! We first stopped @ his mom's place and visited with family. That is where I found some Halloween costume props still laying out and decided to torture dress up Mya :)

 

hahahaha...I am surprised she kept it on long enough for me to take a picture!

 

We then headed over to our friends and got settled it. We chilled the first night and played Scattergories! Love that game...even if I never do win!

 

Thanksgiving morning we woke up to a beautiful day. It was hard to believe that December was right around the corner. Tate and I decided to take Mya for a walk/run!

 

The friends we were staying with live in Menasha, WI...which is very close to the lake. So we walked to the lake to enjoy the view!

 

It was a beautiful view...just chilly due to the wind!!!

 

We spent the afternoon with my MIL's side of the family. We headed over to Grandma's for family fun and good food!

 

 

Cribbage was played along with a new 'competitive' solitaire game we learned from his cousins.

 

 

After all the great food, memories made and time feeling very blessed, we called it a night!

 

Friday was a day where we had nothing really planned. It was nice. We started by enjoying some hot cocoa and watching my favorite Christmas movie ever...ELF!!

 

 

After the movie, Alison and I went and got pedi's and mani's while the boys hit up the bar to play some pool. We joined them a bit later.

 

 

That evening, we met up with more friends for a nice dinner @ an Italian restaurant. After, we headed back to our friends home and played games (if you can't tell, it's one of our favorite things to do)! We played Wits and Wagers and Taboo!! Both games are so much fun...but Taboo was the best. Couldn't stop laughing and the girls beat the boys!!!

 

 

On Saturday we had another Thanksgiving get together with Tate's Dad side of the family. I really love having multiple Thanksgiving celebrations! We ate, watched football and played different games that involved betting quarters...Tate and I came out ahead which we always love :)

 

That evening, one of Tate's friends was celebrating his 30th birthday. None of the girls were going out, so I stayed in with them and the boys went and had their fun. The girls watched 'The Family Stone'. We fell asleep during it so when I woke up Sunday morning, I finished watching where I had left off. Love me some Christmas movies :)

 

The dogs played...and bonded before it was time to say goodbye!!!

 

 

 It was very nice weekend full of love, laughter and great times!!! I wish Thanksgiving happened more than once a year! Until next year...we will be grateful for the memories created at this one!

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving also!!!

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

As I spend time with family and friends, I wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

As I sit around the table to eat the Thanksgiving feast, I look back on the last year and continue to count my blessings!

I am thankful for my wonderful husband! He is the hardest working man I know and so patient! I love him to pieces and feel so unbelievably blessed that we get to share our life together!

I am so thankful for my family (this includes my amazing in-laws)! The support I receive from both of my families is beyond awesome!!!

I am so thankful for my friends! From my best friends, college friends, work friends, old friends, new friends, blog friends and beyond...I feel so lucky to have people I can count on and turn to in time of need!

I am so thankful for my fur baby...Mya. She is my baby girl that is always by my side and continues to make me laugh daily.

I am so thankful for my health, our home and the food that we enjoy daily! We work very hard, but we also thank God everyday for blessing us with the life we have!

Last, but certainly not least...I am so thankful for God. Without him, none of the above is possible. I continue to count my blessings and know that if I continue to pray and walk in his path, that everything will fall into place!

I hope you all have a very blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Sorry for the photo-less  post, I am blogging from a mac for the first time ever and have no idea how to save a picture and then post it!!!

Never have I ever...

NO..I am not going to play the game that we all did in college that involved alcohol and sexual innuendos so if you thought that this post was going to be all about that and you are disappointed...move along ;)

 

I have dealt with something for the last 24 hours that has NEVER happened to me...so it got me thinking that there are many things I have never done....that I thought I would never do....or have done recently at the ripe age of 29 and thought it would be a perfect blog post!

 

NEVER HAVE I EVER...

 

...had a headache that has lasted longer than 2 hours. The one I currently have is going on 30 hours and I don't know how to get rid of it! I am hoping that it goes away in my sleep tonight (or last night for all you reading this) and that I am enjoying this Tuesday headache free!

 

...tried pineapple before our honeymoon down in Mexico in October 2011. I think I didn't try it because my mom didn't like it and I thought, well if she doesn't, then I probably won't. I regret not trying it and now buy a pineapple once a week! I love it and can't live without it!

 

...traveled overseas. I've traveled to Mexico, Canada and many states right here in our country...but never over an ocean. I dream of traveling many places like Europe, Africa and Australia, but not any time soon. I see that in the future...someday!

 

...lived anywhere else but the great state of MN. I grew up in southern MN, went to college in central MN and now live in the Twin Cities of MN. I really can't imagine living anywhere else. I have dreamed of what it would be like to move our life somewhere else, but then it gives me anxiety thinking if it were to actually happen and all that it would involve!

 

...had a desire to run a marathon! Yes I work out, yes I have done 5k's and triathlons, but running 26+ miles sounds very miserable and training for it even sounds more miserable. I don't even have a desire to do a 1/2 marathon. The thing is, I get bored VERY easy when I am running, so running long distances does not sound like a good time. When training for my triathlons (keep in mind...this is a sprint triathlon, which means shorter distances the a traditional triathlon) it involves running AND swimming AND biking. I do something different every day for training...changing it up keeps me interested!

 

OK..that's good for now before I spill my life secrets on here ;)

 

If you liked this...play along and post yours, I would love to read all your 'never have I ever'!!!

 

This Weekend I...

Pretty sure that every weekend until January is a 'holiday' weekend for us...which I am totally OK with! :)

 

 

...made stuffed salmon for dinner on Friday and it was delicious! It was prepared and purchased from Sam's Club, so all I really had to do was 'cook' it, but either way...the husband was happy after a really long day @ work!

 

 

...my parents came up on Saturday to spend the weekend with us and help out since we were hosting Thanksgiving for my Dad's side of the family on Sunday. My mom helped me prepare food and clean while my dad and Tate installed all the new trim in the kitchen among other things needed to be done in there.

 

...took my parents to Wild Bills for dinner on Saturday. They had never been and I knew they would like the fun atmosphere. Everyone loved their food and had a blast...success!

 

...hosted our very first holiday get together @ our home!

(I didn't get very many pictures because I was so busy...but most of all, I didn't get a picture of all the yummy food, total blog #fail)

 

-Tate and I-

-My mom, sister and I-

 

-The 'starters'-

-Mya is waiting & greeting all the guest-

-Tate carving the turkey and my dad carving the ham-

-My family enjoying the food-

 

-Enjoyed a game Phase 10 to which I didn't get off phase 1-

-Enjoyed laughs with my cousins-

 

...took a much needed and deserved nap after all the fun we had! Mya was also tuckered out!

 

 

Our first time hosting was a success! We had enough food, no one went home hungry and we enjoyed time with family! I look forward to this short work week and spending time with my WI family this coming weekend!

 

Friday's Letters

Linking up with Ashley over @ Adventures of Newlyweds...

Dear Mom & Dad,

I am so excited for you guys to get here tomorrow and spend time with you! All the help you have provided with our house remodeling has been so appreciated and we can't thank you enough! We feel very blessed and very thankful!!!

Dear Tate,

Thank you for the beautiful flowers the other day. You know I am not really a big 'flower' person, but you decided to surprise me and it put a big smile on my face! You are the BEST and I fall in love with you more and more everyday!!!

Dear Family,

I am so excited for you all to come on Sunday for the Thanksgiving celebration! I hope I can live up to Grandma's standards and still provide the quality meal she always does. It's been a bit stressful trying to get the house ready and make sure everything is perfect for this Holiday and I know it will all be worth it because we will all be together!

Dear Mya,

I am sorry you were not adopted into a 'hunting' family. You seem to just want to chase every rabbit, squirrel and any other animal that moves on a regular basis. Yes, I know you are so 'proud' that you caught and killed a rabbit...but that made Mom very sad! I have a deep love for animals and hope you never do that again!

I hope you all have a GREAT weekend!!!!

Fitness Fun (Healthy Snacks)

Another fitness/health tip that my great husband provided me and I will share with all of you!!!

Plan for healthy snacks throughout the day!

How many times have you gotten hungry and didn't pack a healthy snack option? It happens to people all the time and they go for the quick fix bag of chips, candy bar, pop, fast food, etc.

Source

By planning ahead and packing healthy snacks with you each day it will help you avoid the temptation. Try packing almonds, fruit, Greek yogurt, veggies, etc.

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I am a very picky eater and have a hard time finding things I like. Some things that I pack for snacks are:

Oatmeal

Fruit

Celery and/or carrots

Almonds

Cottage cheese

String cheese

Boiled egg

By packing healthy snacks, this will give you a boost of energy, save you money and help you avoid those unnecessary high calorie quick fix items!

Bathroom #1 = 90% finished

There is still a few minor things to do, but for the most part, the bathroom is finished.

 

Where we started...

 

 

What we've done:

Stained the cabinet and linen closet

Changed the mirror

Replaced the vanity light covers

Shelving above toilet

New shower curtain

Painted the walls

New granite counters

New decor

 

This is how it looks like now...

 

Our beautiful new counters and stained vanity

-I USED THIS TUTORIAL TO STAIN MY CABINETS...I FOLLOWED IT TO A T-

 

Mirror is from Ikea and we got new vanity light covers

 

Shower curtain is from Target

 

Floating shelves are from Target

Framed art is from Home Goods

Everything else is from Ikea

 

What we plan to still do

I still need to paint the trim

New white doors

Decor for on top of counters

 

These items are not crucial so I feel like it's done.

 

I love how it turned out. I feel like it's a breath of fresh air and feels bigger!

 

I feel very relieved to have both bathrooms pretty much complete!

 

 

This Weekend I...

 

...left work early on Friday so I could go home and paint the kitchen, take Mya for a 3 mile run/walk and take a nap. 6 hours later...I wasn't even done painting! #fail

 

...Tate and I headed over to our friends for a 'Friday game night'! We played the 'Game of Things' & I won :). We had a blast and Mya met her new friend, Zoe!

 

Mya & Zoe

 

...took Mya to the vet for her yearly physical and all looks good. She only growled at the vet once...so we call that a sucess!

Mya waiting so nicely for the vet

 

...ran a 5k with Mya. She had so much fun and everybody loved having her along!

 

...actually finished painting the kitchen and spent too much money buying trim, quarter round and t-moulding!

 

...bought all the food for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.

 

...watched the VIKINGS win and won another bet with one of Tate's good friends that is a big Detroit fan! Vikings beat them twice this year so that's 2 for 2 for me on gambling this year :)

 

 

You should all link up with Syndal over @ Synfully Delicious also for 'This Weekend I...'

 

Anybody else...

out there that CAN'T STOP thinking about Thanksgiving food?!?!

I've never been so excited about Thanksgiving before and I CAN NOT wait to be put in a food coma from it all!!!

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Don't get me wrong though...I am also so excited to spend time with my family and see friends that I haven't seen since June!

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year @ our house for my Dad's side of the family (my mom's side of the family is HUGE so we only get together for Xmas every year). That is the reason I have been slacking in the blog department. I've been driving myself crazy trying to get many things done around the house to prepare for this event. Yes...I call it an event for a few reason. I've never had a holiday get together, I have certainly never made a Thanksgiving meal and with a house under construction...you try to get EVERYTHING done so it doesn't look horrible!

Our menu will consist of:

Turkey

Ham

Mashed potatoes & gravy

Stuffing

Yams

Cranberries

2 side salads

Buns

2 different pumpkin desserts

Our munchies before meal are:

Pickles

Olives

Cheese & crackers

Raw veggies

Am I missing anything...LET ME KNOW?!?!?

This event will be taking place on the 18th...since we will be traveling to my husbands family for the long Thanksgiving weekend. I love it...we get a Thanksgiving meal on the 18th, then a few more over in WI since we will be celebrating at least 2 Thanksgivings over there!

I look forward to spending time with family and friends, making memories and stuffing myself so that I have to unbutton my pants to feel better ;)